By Bill Lloyd

King Crimson Larks Tongue in Aspic (1973)

You gotta hope that you don’t have a mouthful of coffee when, about four minutes into the opening title track, the delicate sounds give way to a riff that Black Sabbath would be proud of. There’s a dynamic shift that shakes the room.

When people talk about prog-rock, I don’t feel it’s easy to define. This third incarnation of King Crimson sounds nothing like that other prog-rock band with a shared drummer. I think that may be the reason drummer Bill Bruford jumped ship with Yes before they toured Close to the Edge to do this album. He’s certainly showcased on this record along with the tinkling and banging of percussionist Jamie Muir (RIP). The way the album is mixed, those wonderful percussion sounds are up in the mix in a way that doesn’t sound like it would “live” in a room. Love it. Production!

My friends saw this version of the band in Nashville at Mothers Music Emporium on that tour in 1973 and I missed it. I got to see King Crimson twice much later on when Adrian Belew was still in the group and it was amazing. This version also features the late, great John Wetton on bass and lead vocals and David Cross on violin. Of course, Robert Fripp is the mainstay of every version of this band and allows his partners enough room to shine but, history shows, he tires easily of the same thing so there are lots of Crimsons over the years. I love this version. Love Wetton’s voice and musicianship. Love the lyrics provided by Richard Palmer James (exit Pete Sinfield!).

I love the songs sandwiched between the bouts of improv (okay.. I might have gotten a little weary during The Talking Drum). Strong melodic and lyrical stuff. Book of Saturday, Exiles, Easy Money all have songs at their core.

All of this sounds like no one else..Yes, Genesis, ELP, Tull, Gentle Giant..all unique and different from each other..for the most part. Recently saw a wonderful King Crimson documentary with an old friend and that prompted choosing this record for the morning cue. So glad I did.